In many developing and even developed countries there is a dire need for potable water. Moreover, in many areas water is taken from non-treated sources which may contain significant amounts of viruses, bacteria, heavy metals and other dangerous contaminants to human health. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that even in the U.S. hundreds of people die each year from water-borne diseases. Given the need for potable water, it is becoming urgent to develop highly efficient, simple and reliable technologies for generating pure water from ambient air.
In the prior art, water generators have not proven to be efficient in satisfying the need for potable water. Such water generators have suffered from a number of disadvantages, which make the energy and economic costs of producing potable water impracticable. One disadvantage is that such water generators are generally not designed to be of the split type, with the water generating unit separated from the water dispensing unit to optimize efficiency. Another disadvantage of prior art water generators is that they are equipped with evaporators having defrosting facilities based on hot refrigerant gas flow bypassing reverse cycle. The described kind of deicer system requires complication of the generator structure, and at the same time consumes more energy without producing water during all the process of reverse cycle defrosting. And yet another disadvantage of other water generators is that they are not energy efficient because they use compressors that operate to maintain a cold set-point temperature within the water reservoir which requires the operation of the compressors even when the generators do not actively produce water. Consequently, existing water generators have been demonstrated to consume a lot of energy while not allowing permanent and reliable water production.
Accordingly, there is a need for an efficient system and method of extracting potable water from ambient air according to this invention, wherein outside air is cooled by a refrigeration system in consequence of which the vapor contained in air is condensed and transformed into water which is collected in a closed tank and further, after having been purified in a cascade of bactericidal loop, is pumped into a water dispensing block, which can be installed in the home or other areas of water use. In present invention the disadvantages of the prior art are eliminated, while improving the reliability and energy efficiency, reducing initial cost per unit of water productivity, optimizing process parameters including air flow through the evaporator and condenser, and maintaining the quality of recovered water, etc.
The objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) providing a potable water source for use in remote and waterless areas;
(b) providing a potable water supplying split type installation consisting of a water generator block located outside and a water dispensing block located inside of the water use areas for delivering hot, cold and ambient temperature water;
(c) providing a stationary water generator that does not need to be moved or shifted and can be hanged on the wall outside surface or stand on ground near the house without occupying inside space and influencing the inside microclimate;
(d) providing a simple construction of water generator designed for operating long periods in non-freezing regime, without use of heating strip and hot gas reversing deicing systems;
(e) providing an apparatus which can easily be assembled from prefabricated elements and modules;
(f) providing a pure water generating apparatus that is proofed from organic compounds, insects and any other contaminations, in accordance with ASHRAE and U.S. federal standards;
(g) providing a low initial cost, high energy efficiency, reliable, cost effective and ecologically safe water generating apparatus;
(h) providing an apparatus which produces high-quality, purified water, by means of coating evaporator dew forming surface with special inert painting, with medical-grade tubing and with 314L stainless steel made interior and exterior cabinet;
(i) providing a stationary, high energy efficiency water generator which is equipped with variable speed fans for regulating the flow of intake outside air and respectively controlling the water productivity;
(j) providing a water generator which is equipped with direct and reverse rotating fans for intaking outside air and for periodically operating in reverse mode to move the air in reverse direction for expelling dust and pollen from the air filters to alleviate clogging of the air filters;
(k) providing a water generator which is equipped with inward-opening revolving doors installed on the vertical side panels of the water generating block and located between an evaporator and a condenser for regulating the quantity and temperature of air mixture blown through the condenser to regulate refrigerant condensation temperatures under various outside air temperatures and relative humidity;
(l) providing a water generator equipped with a processor charged by special program which regulates the refrigerant's condensation temperatures by mean of changing the openings of revolving doors and thereby changing quantity and temperature of air mixture blown through the condenser;
(m) providing a water generator which is equipped with a sampling servomechanism for automatic opening and proper positioning of revolving doors in response to the programmed matrix of required air flow through the evaporator and condenser under various combinations of air temperatures and relative humidity;
(n) providing a water generator which is equipped with gravity louvered screen doors, which automatically closes when the generator is switched off and prevents penetration of insects and bacteria into the mixing chamber;
(o) providing a water generator which is equipped with special sensors system and operating mechanism for stopping the operation of the generator when ambient air temperature is lower than 20° C. and relative humidity is less than 30%;
(p) producing potable water from outside air with much lower specific cost compared to bottled water.